


Homecoming

by writergirl8



Series: 30 Minute Fics [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-02-02 19:38:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12732972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writergirl8/pseuds/writergirl8
Summary: In which Stiles can sling webs and climb up buildings but somehow, inexplicably, still can't talk to the girl he has a crush on.





	Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> You know the drill-- written in thirty minutes, unedited, I love Stydia.

It's a normal Wednesday right up until Lydia Martin accousts him by his locker.

Before that, Stiles had gone to his first three classes and drummed his pencils against the cheap imitation wood, earning a few glares from the teachers. He had talked about Pokemon with Scott while Scott whipped lacrosse balls in his direction, had stolen Greenberg's scone off of his desk, and had successfully answered all questions directed towards him in class correctly despite the fact that he hadn't read the material.

By Stiles' standards, it's a pretty successful morning, which doesn't even account for  _half_  the good mood he's in. No, that honor goes to whoever had made the lunch schedules, because today is not only grilled cheese day, but also popcorn chicken day, and Stiles gets the absolute pleasure of deciding which meal he'd rather eat.

When Lydia Martin slams the door to his locker closed, he's actually contemplating whether the cafeteria ladies might allow him to substitute smiley fries for the tomato soup. Granted, smiley fries on grilled cheese was a  _lot_ of starch, but it's not like his dad would know, and Stiles is a sixteen-year-old boy, he has culinary  _needs_ , most of which involve eating things that will cause him to die earlier.

So, in fact, the glare on Lydia's face when he turns slowly towards her only serves to make his grin grow bigger. Grilled cheese, smiley face fries,  _and_ a conversation with Lydia Martin? Stiles doesn't believe in God, but if he did he's pretty sure today is the equivalent of God giving him a fist-bump.

Thanks, man.

"What's u—?" he begins to say. His voice, as always when Lydia Martin is around, comes out a little more crackly than usual. Despite the fact that Scott is dating her best friend, they don't spend a lot of time together, mostly due to the fact that Stiles has had a crush on Lydia since the third grade and struggles to utter two intelligent words together when they're in the same room. And also, you know, because usually when he sits down to do something, a national disaster occurs and he always ends up leaving.

"How did you get the serum?"

The impatience in Lydia's voice is more than enough to make Stiles' mouth snap shut. He blinks at her in confusion, the hard way she had slammed his locker door shut suddenly springing to mind. Not only does she not like him today— the norm, after all— she's also actively pissed at him.

"Serum?" asks Stiles, still a little too high pitched. Lydia rolls her eyes, tapping a pink nail deliberately against the physics textbook that she has encircled in her arms as if attempting to remind him that he is wasting her precious seconds by floundering.

"Let me just speed this up, shall I?" Lydia suggests sweetly. Except, not at all sweetly, actually. Stiles is ninety percent sure this voice means she wants to kill him. He's not sure why that kinda turns him on. Maybe he should go back to therapy. "I know."

"Well, sure you do," he says easily. "You know everything."

Her red lips part for a moment, then snap shut again. She blows air out slowly, closing her eyes, as if trying to compose herself.

"No, Stiles," she says, patient this time. "I  _know_."

The blood that flows through his veins grows cold.

She knows.

She knows he likes her.

And she's thirty seconds away from beating him up.

Even with his super spectacular reflexes, he'd probably let her.

"Look, Lydia, I'm sorry, I just—"

"You're sorry for what? For sneaking into Argent Enterprises or for sneaking into  _my_ lab?"

" _Your_  lab?"

Fuck. His voice is kinda high again.

"Why were you in Argent Enterprises in the first place?" The demanding tone of her voice makes him wish his locker were open again so that he could hide behind it, but okay. He can answer that question. That's easy.

"Um. Scott goes there once a week to make out with Allison."

"And… what? You watch?"

"Wha—? No! I keep him company and help him sneak around,  _jeez_ , Lydia. What do you take me for?"

"I take you for someone who broke into my private research lab despite the fact that there was a locked door with a passcode in your way."

It's beginning to register with him what she's saying.  _Her_ lab. Her private research lab.

"Wait," he says slowly. "Wait."

"Finally," huffs Lydia, stamping a foot against the floor in impatience.

" _That's_ what you do at your internship?"

He sounds as horrified as he feels. Which, you know. Good. It's pretty fuckin' horrifying that Lydia Martin leaves school every day and goes to Argent Enterprises and hangs out by herself in a lab with a bunch of spiders.

"The entire company does it, Stiles. We're trying to find a way to use animal DNA to make humans safer— heal faster, mostly, but also—"

"Oh my god. That's what you do at your internship."

"I'm assigned to spiders, of course, but people all across the company are assigned to different an—"

" _You_ did this to me?"

Lydia straightens up to her fullest height.

"You did this to you. By sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

"I always do that!" argues Stiles. "But it's never—"

Lydia shoots him a warning look, and Stiles groans in frustration as she snatches his arm and drags him into an emptier hallway. Class change has come and gone, and he's too shell-shocked to go to bio right now. Jesus fuck.

"That serum wasn't for you and you  _know_ that. You could've died!"

"Who were you going to use it on? You?" he shoots back. Her mouth remains closed. She blinks up at him. Stiles runs a frustrated hand through his hair. "That's not what you were supposed to be doing with the spiders, though. Was it?" Lydia shakes her head no. "Does the company know that you made this thing?" She shakes her head again. "Could you get into trouble?" This time, a nod. "Okay," he says slowly, letting it out in a puff of air. "Ooookay."

"What I need to do is figure out how to get the spider properties out of you." Stiles opens his mouth to protest immediately, but Lydia holds up her hand. "No. I know you've got this Spider-boy thing—"

"Spider-man.  _Man_."

"—going, and it was fun, but we have no idea how your body is going to react to the serum overtime— if it will affect your health, or if the serum will run out, or—"

"So monitor me," he suggests eagerly. "Lydia, you can't take the serum out. I've never… I've never been able to help so many people, it's crazy."

For the first time, her eyes are soft.

"I know."

"I saved my  _dad_."

"I know."

"I saved—"

"The people on the train, and the people on the bridge, and the people in Times Square. I know, Stiles. I was watching even before I realized it was you."

"So you know that I need to stay like this."

"But you  _can't,"_ she argues. "It's dangerous, and both of us could get in trouble. Do you know how  _stupid_ you are, all the time?"

"You forgot the 'no offense,'" Stiles points out drily.

"No, full offense. You act like an idiot most of the time."

For a moment, he's silent. Then he draws himself up to his fullest height, staring down at the girl who he's had a crush on for almost a decade, the girl who was always the smartest person in the class, the girl who kinda had always made him want to be better just so he might be  _enough_.

"I'm staying like this," he says quietly. "I am. And you can either be a part of it, or you can fight against it. But either way, I already have this serum in me. And  _you_ invented it, Lydia. So let's see what you can do. Yeah?"

He leaves her staring after him as he strolls down the hall and walks away from her.

And yeah, today is an excellent Wednesday. He's going to have popcorn chicken  _and_ grilled cheese. He's earned it.


End file.
